Vancouver Seahawks fan a 12 above the rest

Mike Meherin isn’t the longest-tenured Seattle Seahawks fan — with no childhood memories of the expansion team joining the National Football League or of future Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent catching passes from quarterback Jim Zorn — and he isn’t a season ticket holder, driving 160 miles north on Interstate 5 to watch the team’s eight home games at CenturyLink Field.

But the 52-year-old Vancouver man is a loud and proud Seahawks fan, one of the team’s thousands of 12s.

And he considers himself the first line of defense for the team as people enter Washington. That’s because Meherin is that enthusiastic Seahawks fan motorists see waving a big blue 12 flag from the 29th Street overpass of I-5 in Vancouver.

“I don’t know why I do it, other than it gets my heart pumping and gets people excited for the game,” Meherin said.

“People are looking,” he said. “They depend on me being there.”

Meherin is at the overpass every game day. Rain or shine or snow. Morning game, evening game or weekday game (his boss lets him leave early for those Monday and Thursday night games). And in the off-season, he heads out anytime he gets the urge.

“I love what I do,” Meherin said. “I love the reactions I get from people. It’s like I’m a little kid. It excites me.”

Adopted team

Meherin, who is from the San Fernando Valley, Calif., admits he should probably be a San Diego Chargers or San Francisco 49ers fan. But Meherin, who graduated from high school in Mill City, Ore., never took to football back then.

After living in Arizona, Las Vegas and Beaverton, Ore., Meherin and his wife, Lisa, moved to their home in Vancouver’s Uptown Village in 2000.

Meherin started watching the Seahawks play and liked the team, but his fandom didn’t take off until after his friend Kyle Anderson took him to his first game. Anderson, a season ticket holder, invited Meherin to the Oct. 14, 2012, game against the New England Patriots. Seattle rallied after being down 14 points with 7:30 left in the game and upset the Patriots 24-23.

“He went to one game, and he’s been a 12th man maniac since,” Anderson said. “I created that monster.”

Not long after that game, Anderson gave Meherin a 12 flag. Meherin called Anderson one afternoon and told him he was going to go wave the flag over the freeway. Little did Anderson know, Meherin would turn the spur-of-the-moment flag-waving into a regular gig.

“That’s my work office on Sunday,” Meherin said.

Game-day ritual

Before heading out to “work” on Sundays, Meherin has a morning ritual.

First, Meherin and his wife talk football before she heads off for her shift at Marathon Taverna in Portland. Once she’s gone for the day, Meherin fires up his drum set and plays about 10 songs.

Then Meherin takes his chocolate Labrador retriever, Sherman — named after All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, of course — for a walk around the neighborhood. Sherman has his own blue-and-green headband, as well as a light-up green collar.

After the dog has been walked, Meherin heads out to the overpass to wave the flag. Sometimes for a couple of hours, sometimes for longer.

“On tough games, I’m out there all day,” he said.

Next week, Meherin is taking his flag waving on the road. Meherin is making the trek up to Seattle to watch the Seahawks play the Los Angeles Rams — his favorite opponent for the Hawks — on Thursday Night Football. Meherin plans to make a few stops along the way to wave the flag from freeway overpasses.

Many motorists love seeing Meherin. He’s had people drive up to the 29th Street overpass to meet him and take selfies. They’ve brought him burgers from McDonald’s and vouchers for free dinners at local restaurants. One person brought him Seahawks scratch tickets and a six-pack of beer (he saved the beer until he got home). One young girl brought him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a Go-Gurt and a bottle of water.

But not everybody is kind.

Meherin has seen his share of middle fingers while he’s waving the flag. He doesn’t return the gesture, and he doesn’t let the bird get him down. Instead, he smiles and waves bigger.

“The people showing me I’m No. 1 … maybe we beat ’em real bad, maybe they need a hug, maybe they’re Browns fans,” he said.

‘They’re amazing’

When it comes to the Seahawks, there’s lots to love, Meherin said.

“I just like their excitement,” he said. “And Russell Wilson. Can you get any better?”

He loves the Hawks’ energy and, perhaps the Seahawk with the most energy and enthusiasm, head coach Pete Carroll.

“I love seeing them do their job,” Meherin said. “They’re amazing.”

He’s also confident in saying the Seahawks have the best uniforms in the NFL.

“You know the Lord loves the Seahawks because the sky is blue and the grass is green,” Meherin said.

Meherin’s devotion hasn’t gone unnoticed by the NFL team.

Earlier this year at a Seahawks rally for season ticket holders — Anderson took Meherin as his guest — Meherin asked about buying a new flag. His heavy, two-sided flag was worn out. The brass inlets of the flag were pulling out, and when the flag got wet, it felt like he was waving a 30-pound, wet beach towel above his head.

A ticket rep promised to mail Meherin a new 12 flag — a token of appreciation for Meherin’s work on Sundays.

And in September, Meherin received a letter from the Seahawks, thanking him for his support.

“They acknowledged me,” Meherin said, “whether it’s a clerk in the warehouse, it came from Virginia Mason Athletic Center.”

Light heart

While Meherin takes his Sunday role seriously, he does it with a light heart. He doesn’t mean harm to anyone and doesn’t wave the flag to make fans of other teams angry. He does it because it makes him happy and, he thinks, it makes people passing by smile.

“I just want everybody to enjoy life,” Meherin said. “Life’s too short. Live it.”

And, of course, he wants to support his team and represent the 12s.

“Go Hawks.”